Environmental Finance Advisor for Climate Change Mitigation

Summary of key functions:

The Environmental Finance Advisor for Climate Change Mitigation is responsible for:

• providing timely and quality advice to country offices in particular regions or sub-regions to enable the delivery of a portfolio of UNDP Climate Change Mitigation projects and their impacts (65-85%) ;
• generating, managing and stimulating the uptake of knowledge associated with Environmental Finance for Climate Change Mitigation(10-25%); and
• contributing globally, regionally and locally to UNDP-EEG strategic planning, partnerships and liaison (5-10%).

1.      Providing timely and quality advice to selected country offices in the region of focus to enable the delivery of a portfolio of UNDP Environmental Finance projects and their impacts. Within the respective region and the Climate Change focal area, through all stages of the relevant project and programming cycle, and in accordance with the UNDP-Environmental Finance Programming Manual, the RTA will be (65-85%):

• Providing timely and quality information and technical advice on carbon finance (CDM, JI), GEF, or other relevant sources of finance, policies and activities to country offices, executing agencies, governments, and other partners such as UNDP Regional Service Centre, NGO’s and the like; including mentoring RCU staff, regional consultants, and project staff with regards to Climate Change mitigation project development processes and requirements and provide necessary backstopping;
• Identification and development of project ideas for admission to the relevant UNDP Environmental Finance pipeline within the overall strategic priorities for the region identified by UNDP and in line with the global strategic priorities articulated by MDG Carbon, GEF or other sources of environmental finance; providing guidance to the country offices and national proponents in identifying and developing carbon finance (or GEF) eligible climate-change projects within the region, as well as providing advice on the specific problems occurring during the implementation phase of the projects;
• Design, preparation, submission and approval of project proposals and requests for project development financing;  
• identification and sourcing of technical expertise and support including assisting with preparing TOR, identifying and evaluating experts, reviewing reports, etc.;  
• Identification and liaison with potential and actual co-financing agencies and institutions  
• Inception, contracting and start up of projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
• Supervising implementation, monitoring, troubleshooting and adaptive management. This includes monitoring the development and implementation of the UNDP climate change mitigation projects, including review and commenting of the PIRs received from the COs and ensuring their timely submission to HQ;  
• Maintaining project and portfolio information in corporate information systems including keeping PIMS pages for the projects managed under this TOR and the internal MDG Carbon and UNDP/GEF workspace for the respective region in which he/she is working applicable parts up to date.  
• Responding to queries regarding project progress, impacts and lessons  
• Contribution to strategic planning and cross-cluster coordination, including participation, as applicable, in team meetings and strategic planning exercises  
• Taking a lead role in formulating CC mitigation strategic work dealing with the future programming of GEF or carbon finance resources  
• Reviewing and commenting on submissions to GEFSEC from other agencies;  
• Preparing detailed and analytical BTORs after each mission

2.     Generating, managing and stimulating the uptake of knowledge (10 - 25%):

Within his/her related field of expertise, contributing globally and regionally to one or more of the following, in accordance with his/her agreed annual work plan:

• Peer reviewing, commenting on, and seeking to improve the technical quality of project submissions;  
• Evaluating, capturing, codifying, synthesizing lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development and championing of resource kits and other knowledge materials;  
• Facilitating, tracking, and assisting in monitoring and adaptive management of a small set of strategic projects which test cutting-edge ideas and innovations and which position UNDP strategically, including the development and management of global projects;  
• Developing and carrying out a personal learning plan (5%).

3.     Strategic planning, partnerships and liaison with other agencies and partners (5 - 10%):

• Establishing and maintaining contact with other GEF IA’s, EA’s, donors, NGO’s, private sector, scientific institutions and the like, to seek strategic partnerships, synergies, coordination and cooperation and to avoid overlap, duplication or conflict;
• Participating in global retreats, focal area retreats, regional strategic planning, pipeline management exercises, etc.;  
• Participating in cross-Focal Area dialogue, common strategic visioning, mainstreaming, programming, and other collaboration within the regional team;  
• Keeping UNDP EEG HQ informed of trends and issues within their focal area and region/sub-region;  
• Keeping the rest of the Regional Team(s) informed of trends and issues within their focal area and region/sub-region.

The results of the work of the Environmental Finance Advisor for Climate Change Mitigation impact on the standing and reputation of UNDP in all the countries of the region. Overall, the decisions taken by the Advisor also impact the relations and credibility of UNDP with government (civil society and donors), programme success or failure, efficiency and effectiveness of resource allocations within UNDP, UNDP-EEG and GEF as a whole. The Environmental Finance Advisor has regular contact with Country Office and national counterparts in monitoring UNDP-EEG programmes and projects in the climate change portfolios. The Advisor makes recommendations to the Resident Representative on necessary courses of action in response to changes in the country context and new programme and resource mobilization opportunities in the EEG climate change portfolio. When requested, the Advisor represents UNDP in international and national fora, liaises with external clients and a broad range of constituencies and UNDP counterparts in the Government, local and international media, civil society as well as counterparts from other international organizations on the EEG climate change portfolio. The Environmental Finance Advisor promotes good cooperation and coordination among programme and operations staff and between the Country Office and Government counterparts.

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations.

Management and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and results for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
• Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills

• Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Economics, Environmental Management, or Engineering related to energy and climate change or a closely-related field  
• 10 years of professional experience in providing development assistance, of which at least 7 years formulation and implementation of renewable energy and/or energy efficiency activities in combination with knowledge on economic and financial analysis, institutional, regulatory and policy frameworks;  
• At least 5 years experience in the field in developing countries in Climate Change Mitigation; recent and relevant experience with working in Arab States, Eastern European or African countries in the areas of sustainable energy and climate change strongly preferred
• Extensive experience with project development, implementation and management (in-depth knowledge of and experience in applying logframe methodologies is an asset);  
• Experience in the policy development processes associated with environment and sustainable development issues;  
• Previous experience with GEF, Climate Change Mitigation and with carbon finance mechanisms will be an asset  
• Skills in facilitation and coordination, entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner.  
• In view of longer-term career prospects a demonstrated ability and willingness for frequent duty travel and mobility across regions
• Fluency in English.  Working knowledge of another UN language desirable